English teenager Kris Kim, playing on a sponsor’s exemption, became the fifth youngest player to make the cut on the PGA Tour.
Still amateur the sixteen-year-old golf prodigy had rounds of 68 and 67 in the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in Texas, for a seven-under-par 36 hole score on his PGA debut, to make the cut with a shot to spare. His rounds over the weekend were 70 and 73 for a 72-hole total of six under par 278.
On making the cut Kim said: “I’m happy. I’ve enjoyed it so much the last couple of days and being here two more days makes it so much sweeter.”
In his four rounds, Kim had 17 birdies and one eagle over the 7,414 yards, par 71, TPC Craig Ranch layout.
He was ranked number one in strokes gained around the green for the four days and tied for 17th with the longest drive of 337 yards. The other notable statistics were his tied 35th finish of driving accuracy, hitting 35 of 56 fairways with 62.5% and his tied 30th sand saves with a 5 out of 9 success rate.
The tournament winner was 32-year-old Canadian Taylor Pendrith with a four-round total of 23 under par for his first PGA Tour win.
Both of Kim’s parents played golf professionally and he is coached by his mother, former LPGA player, Ji Hyun Suh. His father Ki Yong Kim played on the Fiji Tour.
Kim is from Surrey, England and attends Epsom College. He is a member of Cuddington Golf Club as well as Walton Heath Golf Club.
In 2021 he won the England Under-14 boys title by seven shots.
In 2023 Kim won the Boy’s Amateur Championship at Ganton Golf Club and represented England in the European Boys Championship in Switzerland, where England won the bronze medal. He went undefeated at the Junior Ryder Cup at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome, which saw Kim claim three wins and a half point in Europe’s first victory in the match since 2006 and included a 5 & 4 win over American Miles Russell.
Kim was nominated for the SportsAid’s One-to-Watch Award in December 2023. Kim became the first European amateur golfer to sign a NIL contract (Name, image and likeness) with Under Armour, and the first British amateur golfer to sign a NIL deal with TaylorMade.
Reflecting on what he had learned from the experience of playing the PGA Tour, Kim said, “(I) definitely have got to work on my stamina. Feel like I’ve got to watch what I eat as well and kind of train better. Yeah, I think definitely eat more on the course fruit-wise and everything like that.”
The young Englishman has impressed with his golf so far and we will continue to watch his progress in the golfing world.